


Calm Before a Storm (Prologue)

by Xancholis07



Category: Original - Fandom
Genre: Other, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 12:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7172051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xancholis07/pseuds/Xancholis07
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prelude story for an original story I've started to work on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calm Before a Storm (Prologue)

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep.

Click.

Ichigo let her hand slid off the snooze button back onto the bed and gave a quiet groan into her pillow.

“Ugh....school....”

She lifted herself upright on the bed, her feet knocking the clothes she'd wore out the night prior falling to the floor. With a stretch and a yawn, she rose to her feet, trying to avoid the mess as she made her way to the bathroom. As always, deodorant first. Then brushing her teeth. Now, she had to hurry and get ready.

Her brown hair was a ruffled mess. She pulled out the hair tie that she'd left in her hair when she'd fallen asleep and grabbed her brush.

She winced a few times as the knots came loose, finding the scattered pieces of her uniform as she brushed. She put them on as she found them, first the blouse, then the skirt, her tights, the loafers, and finally the ribbon. 

She glanced over at her clock. Still got fifteen minutes before she had to leave.

Hurrying to the bathroom, Ichigo pulled her hair up into a ponytail that rested on her head and then tied it up. Moving quickly, she put on some basic makeup and then her small choker necklace.

“Looking cute.” she mused with a smile before hastily grabbing her backpack and heading downstairs to the kitchen.

As no surprise, her dad wasn't downstairs. He was working a lot more lately. To her surprise though, another familiar face was. 

“Good morning, Ichigo.” the tall, lanky brown haired girl at the stove greeted her.

“Kanami? What are you doing home?” Ichigo asked confused.

Kanami Saito was her sister and usually by now would be either at attending classes or at work with their father. The girl wasn't much older than her, but just enough to where she no longer went to high school and had only recently joined the group her dad was the head of. Kanami was rather happy-go-lucky and often had her head in the clouds but was really good at her work.

“What's it look like?” she responded with a grin, giving the eggs in the pan a flip, “Dad asked me to make you breakfast! Professor's canceled class for today, so I finally get a day off!”

Ichigo looked at the clock.

“Kanami, I've only got fifteen minutes to get to class.”

“Wait, what?!” she turned in surprise, “Oh no! I lost track of time! Here hold up, let me find a box to put it in you can take it with you, oh I'm so sorry, I should have been watching this is-”  
…............................

Moving at a brisk walk, Ichigo turned down the street toward the school. Aika-Toyotomi Academy was one of the most prestigious schools in the city, and usually only two kinds of students attended it. The really smart and the really wealthy. However, Ichigo found the curriculum surprisingly easy, her only issue usually being having enough time to complete assignments.

“Ichigo! Wait up!”

She turned to smile back at the girl with a midnight black bob cut who ran out from her house to meet her. Ran Mori was Ichigo's best and only real friend, from the day they'd met, Ran had been kind to her.

Which honestly, had surprised Ichigo at first. Most rich girls were either snobs or just downright arrogant. Ran was a fashionista, always dressing the most current styles as soon as school ended. She was always more than happy to keep Ichigo up to date too, and the two often spent their free days together at the local mall.

“Ran, are those another pair of new earrings?” Ichigo asked as, sure enough, the red studs in her friend's ears looked completely different from any she'd seen.

“Yeah, they are. What do ya think?” 

“I guess they look good? I'm not good at that sort of thing, Ran,” Ichigo shrugged. “I just left in the earrings I had on last night.”

“Hm...I don't know...well they do suit you, at least,” Ran analyzed the silver studs in her ears, “Simple and practical.”

“Geez, Ran, I didn't ask to get judged on the way to school. I was out late last night...” Ichigo sighed, which turned into a yawn halfway through.

“Out on another outing, huh? One of these days I wish your dad would let me go on one of your trips too...” Ran pouted.

“Come on...Don't get too pushy with him, ok? He knows you're my best friend and all, but that might be a bit much.” 

…...........

The school was just around the next bend. Aika-Toyotomi Academy consisted of two buildings, the main, much larger building, and the smaller gymnasium. The two girls walked up the path toward the door, merging with the crowd of students approaching.

Oh.

Ichigo felt herself tense up at the sight of him. Ran followed her line of sight and smiled.

“Ohhhh...are you checking out Cassius Aika over there?” Ran lifted a hand to the smirk on her face.

Cassius Aika was one of the three children of the prominent Aika family, a wealthy and influential family that had money and interests literally everywhere in the country. The head of the Aika family had been the one to make a deal with the Toyotomi group to make the school a few years back, assumably so that he could ensure the kind of education he wanted for his heirs, his two sons and his daughter.

Cassius was a dark-haired, broody boy, with dark circles under his vivid eyes and intensity in his every move. Ichigo had heard a lot about him, but this was the first time she'd ever seen him.

Dad's warnings were still fresh in her mind, but good grief...

He was pretty to look at.

“Um...hello? Earth to Ichigo?” Ran waved her hand in front of Ichigo's face, causing the girl to blush suddenly, “Didn't know a boy could turn you into an airhead, Ichigo.”

“That-that's not funny, Ran!” Ichigo stammered, quickly starting to walk again, but not before taking another look at Cassius as she walked into the doors of the school.

…...............................

Ichigo groaned as she put her backpack onto her bed.

“Why do I always get so much homework...?” She collapsed backward onto the bed, closing her eyes to rest.

Not much had happened that day, just attending classes and keeping to herself in the ones she didn't share with Ran. The kids at the school felt distant and aloof, like they couldn't speak because their pedigrees were in the way.

She thought back to the way her heart skipped a beat when she saw Cassius and immediately felt her cheeks flush.

“Ran...that was embarrassing.”

Still...that dark hair, that attractive face, fierce eyes...

She sighed happily.

“I'm really glad that the guy I'm supposed to tail is so cute.”

….................

“Subuoru, what have you found out about the Muramasa?”

Tyber Saito stood looking over the map they'd pined to the corkboard and had been studying it intently before he'd walked in.

“It looks like you were right.”

Subuoru Kujo had short dark hair, a deep, dry voice, and expressive, if not weary, black eyes. The man was the oldest in the group, but he was still far from heading downhill, or at least he told himself that. He was also well-built, even though he wasn't quite as tall as Tyber. 

The foreigner had shaggy, but well kept, blonde hair and willful blue eyes. Tyber carried himself with purpose and discipline, bearing an obvious air of authority, and well-deserved too, in Subuoru's opinion.

“You think that the Aika group has already found it?” the blonde man looked over a serious of red pins, mixed within a storm of blues, yellows, and greens.

“No, not yet at least.” the older man pulled the chair beside the desk to the map and sat down, his arms over the back to point over a few locations, “It is in their territory though. Someone was trying to move it out of the city. Unless someone stops them, it could disappear again.”

“And I'm willing to bet Aika knows that...” Tyber rubbed his chin. 

“What about Ichigo's mark? His middle son, you know, that one?” Subuoru asked.

“Hmm...Aika definitely is making his children prepared to take part in his dealings based on the intel we've gathered. I've not seen much on the middle son though.” Tyber seemed lost in thought. “Do you suppose he's been trained?”

“It's possible. Do you think it's safe for your daughter to be tailing him?”

“Ichigo is up to the task. I have faith in her.” Tyber waved his hand dismissively. “Besides, we have to follow every lead we can. The Muramasa swords are possibly the most dangerous of all. We can't risk them falling into the wrong hands. If Cassius Aika can lead us to the sword, then Cassius Aika is the lead we will follow.”

…..............

“After which time, the invasion from the northwest was repelled. Following immediately thereafter...”

Ichigo was so bored, reading aloud. Absentmindedly, she stretched out her toes to the knife on the floor, sticking part of her big toe through the small ring at the handle's end. She lifted it up to the bed, reaching out and grabbing it with her hands before inattentively twirling it around her fingertips as she read. 

Bzz. Bzz.

Ichigo flipped her phone over to look at the message.

Im going 2 head out 2 my class. wanna tag along and hang after? 

Ran was going to her self-defense class. Not that she needed it much anymore. She was already a black belt. Ichigo had always though it would be interesting to spar with her sometime, but it had never really come up.

Still, anything was better than studying like this. Ichigo got up off the bed and went over to the closet for a cute outfit to wear out on the town.

…................

 

She saw Ran from her seat by the fountain. Ran had on that false-fur lined, hooded vest on, blue shorts with black thigh highs and the heeled boots with tufts of fur along the top. It was one of her go-to outfits and one of the more consistent things her friend wore.

“Oooh...Looking good, Ichigo! 9 out of 10 for sure, at the least! Nice outfit!” Ran smiled as she gave Ichigo a thumbs-up. 

Ichigo had worn a red sleeveless vest and skirt, black heels and a black cropped shirt that shown just a bit of the skin between her skirtline and bellybutton. She was starting to get a knack for dressing herself at last!

“Do you always have to rate how I dress, Ran?” Ichigo sighed as she stood. Honestly, she had dressed up a bit, so she was glad to have her fashionable friend's approval. Fashion was never something Ichigo was good at, but getting constant critiques and pointers did stand to help.

She just wished it wasn't...every single time.

“Come on, Ichigo, it was a compliment.” Ran pulled her friend along, “You really look nice. You're finally catching on to the finer points of style!”

“Why are you so dramatic when it comes to fashion, Ran...”

….............

The pair soon found themselves at the self-defense dojo that Ran's parents paid for her to attend.

“Miss Mori, I welcome you back.” the man at the door bowed, “And Miss Saito, good to see you once again.”

“Y-yeah.” Ichigo hadn't been to one of Ran's classes in ages. She hadn't expected the doorman to recognize her.

“Just go sit at one of the chairs by the window, Ichigo.” Ran gestured as she walked toward the changing room, her hands rummaging through her large purse, “Watch me kick butt, ok?”

…..............................

“The girl who went inside, that was the Mori heir, right?” 

“Yeah, the one with the short, dark hair is her. The brunette must be her friend.”

Hidden in the shadows of the alley, the two men looked in the window to the dojo at the class going on inside.

The Mori girl was certainly proving herself capable against the other students, while her friend sat watching, done up for a night on the town.

The man nodded to his compatriot. They slid around the corner of the building to the road, moving quickly and silently across the street.

…....

Ichigo fiddled with her fingernails while Ran once again grabbed her sparring partner's arm and tossed them over her shoulder to the floor.

“That's enough! Match, Ran!” the sensei raised his hand to call the match. “Please return to your seat, Ran. Take a rest.”

“Yes, Sensei.” Ran bowed briefly before walking back to her mat, where she gave Ichigo an excited thumbs-up.

Ichigo sighed again, returning the thumbs-up. Where did Ran have all that energy? Well, Ran wasn't out and about most nights, for starters. Between that and homework, it seemed there was never enough time to get a full nights sleep...

She felt her head bob a little before shaking herself back awake. Her earrings tugged gently at her earlobes. She looked into her reflection and admired them. After Ran's comment that morning, she'd decided to try a different pair. The small golden wing-shaped earrings hung from the stud, bouncing as her head turned toward a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye.

Ichigo tensed up, instinctively.

That...something's not right. 

Calling it fighting instinct, call it premonition, call it whatever you want, Ichigo could tell something was wrong. They were in danger.

Ichigo started to stand to her feet, her hand reaching into her vest.

The glass to the door crashed inward as a small canister went through it. Ichigo covered her mouth immediately just before the device began to spew smoke in every direction.

Panic erupted through the class as the smoke obscured the classroom from outside. Ichigo heard the door to the dojo open and the sounds of footsteps rushing through the ever-growing cloud of grey filling the room.

Ichigo squinted trying to see through the smokescreen, her hand still on the kunai hidden inside her vest. Suddenly a hand lunged for her out of the smog.

Ichigo stepped quickly to the side, as the rest of the man the arm belonged to came out of the smoke. He wore dark clothes and a mask across his face, but the malice in his eyes had been obvious. Malice that quickly turned to shock. She may have moved out of the way of the man's arm, but that didn't mean she was going to let him go. 

With her free hand, she caught the man's wrist, turning it around his back and pinning it there roughly, using his own momentum against him. With her right foot, she quickly drove her heel into the muscle in the back of his leg, making it give way. Then, with both his arm and leg pinned, she slid her kunai's blade into his neck, bending his mask inward, the point ever so slightly touching the skin behind his jaw.

“Geez, buddy, you do sloppy work.” She mused into his ear. “I wouldn't move if I were you, by the way.”

There was a clinking sound, followed quickly by another as the canister flew across the room. Both Ichigo and her captured attacker turned their heads toward the sound. As the smoke shifted, she could see another man in a mask had fallen onto his back, a hand pressed to his head from where the canister had bounced off. And before he could look up after shaking his head, a certain dark-haired girl spun around and kicked him straight across the face.

Ichigo felt the man in her hold twitch as Ran kicked his partner in the face, making it clear to Ichigo these two were...not professionals. Before he could try to make another move though, Ichigo dug her heel deeper into his leg and moved her hand with the kunai to the base of his neck, careful not to accidentally stab the poor loser as she took his now very off-balance self and slammed his face straight into the ground.

Satisfied with the crack of his nose hitting the hardwood floor, followed by a yelp of pain and gentle sobbing, Ichigo kept him pinned down while she watched Ran go to work on his friend.

The man had only barely recovered from being kicked when he finally decided he'd need to draw his weapon. The blade was long and straight, and looked to be the most professional thing about these two. But, it was far too late now, as just as he'd pulled it free, Ran seized the wrist holding it, and struck his arm, causing him to drop it.

His yell of pain was quickly followed, by one of frustration, as well as a blow from his free arm. Ran however, simply caught the oncoming fist by the wrist as well, holding the man's arms crossing one another in a manner that, frankly, couldn't be comfortable.

“1 out of 10, love.” Ran gave the cringing man a quick smile before delivering her foot to his face one last time before he fell to the floor. “Do try harder next time.”

The canister of smoke was starting to clear. Judging from how the man under her was still sobbing in pain gently, Ichigo wouldn't need her kunai for him. She slid it back in place in her vest.

“Well now, Ran. Well done.” the sensei stood in front of the other students, surprise on his face at the sight of the two girls over the men on the ground. “It seems your friend is quiet capable as well.”

“Um...thanks sir.” Ichigo smiled in embarassment. 

“I...um...Had best call the police...I suppose.” The discomposed sensei went over to his bag to find his phone, rubbing his neck.

Ran lifted the man she'd kicked up a bit and the let him go. His head hit the floor with a bump.

“Welp. He's out cold. Ichigo? Is yours still awake enough to answer some questions?”

Ichigo looked down at the man she was sitting on. “If you can get him to stop crying for a few seconds.”

“...It's...*sniff* not funny...I...I think you broke my nose...” he objected, sounding hurt in more ways than just physical.

…..................

Having sat the man up and removed his mask, with his eyes still having tears and his bloodied nose stuffed with tissues, she almost felt sorry for the poor guy.

Until he admitted they'd been there in an attempt to kidnap Ran.

His friend had suggested that be the way they get a reputation. Kidnap a rich kid, wait for the ransom, make away with not only money, but notoriety too. Of course, they'd underestimated how engaged in self-defense Ran was, not to mention not knowing Ichigo would be another major obstacle to their plan.

“Well, I for one am embarrassed to have even been the target of such a terrible kidnapping.” Ran groaned, noticing the man's heart sinking as she did. “You do know that you two didn't last five minutes in a fight against two high school girls, right?”

Ichigo smiled. Ran sure was rubbing salt in the wound. 

A thought crossed Ichigo's mind.

“Who were you trying to impress with this?” she asked.

“W-what?” the man looked over at her.

“You said you were trying to build a reputation. Who are you trying to impress?”

The man froze, nervously shifting his gaze between the two.

“Come on.” Ran smiled, “My friend asked you a question.”

Like an opossum trapped in the headlights, he slumped in defeat.

“A-Aika...His group is recruiting, but they only allow new members in upon invite...”

Ichigo narrowed her eyes. Aika...her dad had been suspicious of him for a long time now. You don't simply have a hand in that many things without some of them being dirty. He needed to know about this.

“Ichigo? Is something wrong?” Ran asked, looking over at her.

She shook herself back to her senses. “No, no I'm alright.”

Ran stood, gesturing for Ichigo to follow her. By the wall and away from the man's ears, she whispered, “Something for you to tell your dad?”

Ichigo nodded. “Yeah. Dad's been keeping tabs on what Aika and his family have been up to. This can't be a coincidence that they're recruiting so openly. I think something's going on.”

Ran looked over to the man, who had allowed himself to fall over against the wall. “Come on, then. Let's go. Sensei can handle him. Mr. Saito needs to hear about this.”

….........................

It was the first time she'd seen him all week. As usual, her dad looked tired. But also, as usual, greeted her with a gentle hug as she walked in the door.

“I heard what happened, Ichigo. I'm glad the two of you are alright.”

“I heard they were more than alright, Tyber,” came the laugh of the woman seated next to Subuoru, “I heard the girls here kicked some ass!” This prompted a second laugh and Ichigo's saw her sister at the other end of the table give a thumbs-up, but the gruff man between them simply sat with a grumpy look on his face.

“Amallia...please.” Tyber gently stopped his sister. Amallia had always been rather...frank with her words.

“Your text said there was something important, Ichigo?” her dad asked, “Something relevant to the Murasama?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “One of the men who attacked admitted they were trying to get Aika's attention for his recruitment that had recently started. I think Aika's about to make a move, Dad.”

Tyber began to pace the kitchen floor, his eyes lost in thought.

“What do you think, Tyber? Think it's the Murasame like Ichigo thinks?” his second-in-command asked, a shine in his dark eyes.

“We need to keep a close eye on Aika. I do think Ichigo is right.” Tyber turned back to the others, “And if he gets his hand on that sword first, there's no telling what mayhem might start.”

…................

She'd started carrying her gear with her when she went to school. She hoped that none of the teachers ever checked her backpack, because her other clothes and kunai were underneath her gym uniform and the blazer that it was too warm to wear.

Dad had told her to keep a close watch on Cassius, see if there was any clue as to when Aika was going to make a move. She'd even tailed him part of the way home a couple nights, careful not to be seen by anyone or getting to close to the manor he lived on.

And...may or may not have actually spoken to him at one point at school.

…...........

Bump.

Ichigo had rounded the corner right into him on their way to the next class.

“Oh, sorry.” She looked up as he gave his hand to help her up.

“T-thanks.” Ichigo blushed. She'd not been watching where she'd been going...

“Wait...” he said after helping her to her feet, “I know you. You're from the class I just came from...Why are you following me?”

Ichigo froze up. Oh no, had he figured it out? Before her heart could start pounding too fast though, Ichigo had realized something. Ran was in the last class and the two of them had spent their spare time talking over this and that, but that was the only class before economics and history she had with Ran. So something else was far more likely...

“Um...Cassius, we have all our classes together. I've been in every class with you this semester.”

“...Oh. Um... I'm sorry again...I seem like a jerk now...”

He didn't notice me! Is it because I'm so quiet without Ran to talk to?!

…..........

She sighed deeply at that memory, finishing changing into the spare outfit she'd brought and pulling her mask up over her nose. The kunoichi gi was comfortable, allowed free range of movement, and best of all, minimized the noise she'd make when she moved. A quick adjustment to her tabi and Ichigo reached up and pushed her bag out the window before following it outside.

The bathroom was far from the dramatic change that ninjas had in the movies but, it was the best place in the school to have privacy. The last bells had already rang, and Cassius should be out of class and getting ready to head home by now...

She slipped up quietly to the edge of the row of bushes separating the area behind the bathroom and the main pathway out of the school and listened carefully.

“Ichigo? You in there?” came a familiar voice.

“Yeah, Ran. Here's my bag,” Ichigo whispered, gently laying the bag on her friend's outstretched hand.

Ran pulled the bag away and over her shoulder, “Are you following Cassius home again? Ichigo, isn't that a little creepy?”

Ichigo blushed, flustered, “Ran-th-that's not...It isn't like that!” her whispering was no louder but much more irritated.

Ran chuckled to herself, “Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just teasing. I'll see you later, Ichigo. Be careful.”

“Thank you, Ran. I will. Later.”

….................................


End file.
